Ask HN: In my spare time, should I work more or do personal projects?
I've overhauled my daily schedule to include more sleep, incorporate an exercise regime, and spend enough time with my girlfiend/friends. This leaves me with about one to two hours of free time at the end of the day and I'd like to use it productively to improve my programming skills. My goal is to enhance performance at a new job I recently started.
I'm debating between using that time to continue working on work stuff or developing a personal project that's related to what I do at work. I fear that working more will cause me to burn out, whereas a personal project could supplement my work knowledge and avoid burnout because it's something I'm passionate about. On the other hand, what if my project is a waste of time? And if I want to get better at work related things shouldn't I simply continue working on that? Any insight would be appreciated.
I'm debating between using that time to continue working on work stuff or developing a personal project that's related to what I do at work. I fear that working more will cause me to burn out, whereas a personal project could supplement my work knowledge and avoid burnout because it's something I'm passionate about. On the other hand, what if my project is a waste of time? And if I want to get better at work related things shouldn't I simply continue working on that? Any insight would be appreciated.